The Year of Moving Forward

At our 4 person wedding reception in DC

Friday, March 13, 2009

Michael Steele...Keep Talking

Michael Steele is such a misfit for the floundering Republican Party, and floundering is so entertaining to watch. I'm sure that everyone is aware of his conflicting statements on abortion and choice. Frankly, I understand his confusion, not because I agree with him, but because I realize what a difficult issue it is for some, and that it is not a black and white issue. That is precisely why it is an issue of choice. But I'm not here to write about that.

Steele: Oh, no. I don't think I've ever really subscribed to that view, that you can turn it on and off like a water tap...you just can't simply say, oh, like, "Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being gay." It's like saying "Tomorrow morning I'm gonna stop being black."

That's what we've been saying all along. Thanks, Michael.

So he is not exactly following the party line when he takes these positions. In fact, does this sound like your typical straight republican (also from the GQ interview)?

GQ: Did you watch the Oscars?

Steele: I did! I love the Oscars. Despite what Mr. Shales said in his review in The Washington Post, I liked it. I thought it was: [claps]. And the host! Who knew?

GQ: Did you watch the red-carpet stuff, too?

Steele: I did. I’m looking for who’s got what dress on, you know? I’m looking at the dresses. I’m lookin’ at what they’re doing with the hair. I’m lookin at the fellas. Now, you know, guys are wearing black and white, and I get that, but there’s some style points I could share with some of these brothers out there who just ain’t gettin’ it together.

"I thought it was [claps]." Is that not just a little...? Well, he seems really, really interested in the star's dresses and hair, too.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but...

There is something wrong with this:

That picture was taken in front of the California Supreme Court building last week when the hearings were going on regarding Prop 8. Dan White, if you don't know, was the San Francisco Supervisor who assassinated Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in 1978.

It's because of people like the person holding this sign that we need hate crime laws. But even more important, we need to educate people. This person probably does not understand the humanity of LGBT persons. Or, this person is so deep in the closet and so self loathing that they would carry a sign like this, condemning themselves.

In either case, the person has a lot to learn.

That is why blogs like this continue to expose the hypocrisy and false assumptions surrounding the issues of sexuality. And slowly, a little too slowly it sometimes seems, but slowly, people are learning that gay and lesbian and bisexual and transgender men and women are just as much a part of the human equation as they are, and that all people deserve respect and rights.